Ederson surprised to be ‘alone’ in Milan 6-yard box for Atalanta winner | OneFootball

Ederson admits he was surprised to find himself ‘alone’ scoring the Atalanta winner against Milan, while Marten de Roon sees this as a ‘fundamental’ victory for Champions League qualification.

The crisis of a few weeks ago with three consecutive defeats feels like a distant memory, as La Dea beat Bologna 2-0 and this evening conquered Milan 1-0 at San Siro to consolidate third place.

A well-worked team move was finished off by Ederson’s diving header from six yards, while Mateo Retegui somehow failed to turn in the Ademola Lookman roll across soon after.

“We heard that Bologna had won, but we didn’t think about it too much,” De Roon told DAZN.

“We knew that if we played with the same mentality and grit as last week, we’d have a chance to win. It was a great first half, we just didn’t finish off the scoring opportunities, then we scored a great goal and had more chances.

“This was a fundamental victory for our journey. Every now and then, it seems as if Atalanta are supposed to challenge for the Scudetto, but we are already doing extraordinary things. I think our mentality is crucial, these lads all go the extra mile for each other, and it’s a pleasure to be on the pitch with them.

“Now we want to get the Champions League spot locked down as quickly as possible.”

Ederson and De Roon hail Atalanta attitude

MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 20: Ederson of Atalanta celebrates scoring his team’s first goal with teammates during the Serie A match between AC Milan and Atalanta at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on April 20, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Atalanta have a remarkable record in what is after all a Lombardy Derby, because they won four of the last five meetings in all competition, drawing the other 1-1.

Ederson is technically a defensive midfielder, but he does have a habit of scoring in the big games.

“I always try to defend well, help my team, because we’ve got great strikers, but when I manage to get forward, I try to score goals too. I saw that there was a gap, I was kind of alone out there and the ball was coming my way,” Ederson told DAZN.

“I said many times that I learned so much from De Roon, he runs hard, just as hard as me even though I am younger. He has this confidence on the field that is incredible and when there’s someone like this who looks after you, that connection makes it easier on the pitch.”

This result ensures Atalanta stay solid in third place with 64 points, as even if Juventus beat Parma tomorrow, they will have at least a two-point cushion from fourth.